Showing 6 results for Autoimmune
Seyedeh Noushin Ghalandarpour Attar, Narges Ghandi, Kambiz Kamyab Hesari, Maryam Ghiasi, Maryam Daneshpazhooh, Mojgan Karbakhsh, Cheyda Chams-Davatchi,
Volume 2, Issue 2 (6-2011)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease which is specific for skin and mucosal membranes. Its association with connective tissue diseases has already been reported. Considering this association, presence of Anti Nuclear Antibodies (ANAs) in PV patients will not be surprising. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of ANA positive cases in patients suffering PV with a control group.
Methods: In this case-control study, the cases were selected from the patients with PV whom were hospitalized at Razi Hospital, Tehran. The controls were chosen from patients who did not have PV. The data were collected using a questionnaire, which was designed for gathering information on participants' age, sex, PV phenotypes, and the result of ANA test. ANA positivity was assessed using indirect immunofluorescence, HEP2.
Results: In 8 (26.7%) of 30 PV patients and 3 (10.0%) of 30 controls ANA was positive (P=0.095). The most common ANA positive patterns among cases and controls were homogeneous and speckled patterns, respectively (P=0.26).
Conclusion: Although in this study the frequency of positive ANA result among controls was similar to what were reported in previous studies, the frequency of this finding among PV patients was different from the previous reports. Differences in the sensitivity of the laboratory kits used in different studies as well as in the threshold for ANA positivity, and differences in the patients' eligibility criteria in different studies may explain the observed discrepancies. Clinical follow up of the PV and requesting an ANA test in the case of appearance of the signs of connective tissue diseases is recommended.
Nafiseh Esmaeili, Md, Zahra Halaji, Md, Amirhooshang Ehsani, Md, Mahboubeh Eghbalian, Md, Abbas Karimi,
Volume 4, Issue 2 (6-2013)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Alopecia Areata is a chronic inflammatory disease which involves hair follicles. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of oral sulfasalazine in the treatment of recalcitrant alopecia areata.
Methods: Patients with refractory alopecia areata who were eligible for the study, after providing informed consent were treated with oral sulfasalazine for 6 months. After completion of treatment, regrowth of vellus and terminal hairs were determined based on clinical examination and comparing the new photographs with the baseline ones.
Results: Sixteen patients were enrolled in the present study but only 5 patients completed it. No response was seen in 3 patients. After 4 months, 55-60% response to treatment was observed in 1 patient, but the disease relapsed at the end of fourth month. In 1 patient, 15% hair regrowth was observed but treatment was discontinued after the second month due to side effects. Side effects were observed in 2 patients.
Conclusion: Since only refractory alopecia areata patients had been enrolled to the study, the results could not be generalized to all patients with alopecia areata. Therapeutic response in the patients with alopecia areata is disappointing and any poor treatment response or failure of treatment in refractory cases of the disease cannot rule out the efficacy of the drug in the milder forms of the alopecia areata.
Nafiseh Esmaeili, Tahereh Soori, Zeinab Nooraei, Abbas Karimi,
Volume 6, Issue 2 (7-2015)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare autoimmune intraepidermal blistering disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Copper and zinc are two necessary trace elements in the human body that have antioxidant activity in the wound healing process. The aim of this study was to determine the serumic level of zinc and copper in newly diagnosed patients with pemphigus vulgaris.
Methods: In this study, 50 newly diagnosed patients with pemphigus vulgaris admitted to Razi Hospital in Tehran were studied with regards to their serum levels of copper and zinc alongside age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking and drug abuse status.
Results: Eighteen percent (9 cases) and 50% (25 cases) of the patients showed copper and zinc deficiency, respectively. There was no significant association between copper and zinc levels and smoking, age, BMI or suffering from a chronic disease (P>0.05). Mean copper levels in women and men were not significantly with their respective different normal levels (P>0.05). Serum zinc level in men was lower than its normal range (P<0.05), but in women was not significantly different from its normal level.
Conclusion: Serum concentration of copper and zinc did not show any association with pemphigus disease. Since decreased levels of copper and zinc may result in an increase of oxidative activity in autoimmune diseases enhancing disease severity, therefore conducting a robust case-control study for evaluating the their roles in disease severity may pave the way to treatment of those diseases.
Majid Banimohammad, Mahdi Forghani Ramandi, Hamidreza Pazoki Toroudi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (8-2021)
Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) is a sudden non-scarring hair loss that can be seen in any hairy area in the form of round or oval patches. It is an autoimmune disorder with an immunological response against hair follicles that is caused by genetic and environmental factors. The prevalence of AA is about 0.1% to 0.2% worldwide. Depending on the severity of the disease and sites of involvement, it can be divided into: Alopecia with Patchy pattern, alopecia reticularis, alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, alopecia ophiasis, alopecia sisiapho, diffuse type and perinevoid alopecia areata. There are various treatment options for AA, but once terminated, they have a high recurrence rate. AA is known for the infiltration of T lymphocytes around the hair follicle bulb, and corticosteroids are its main treatment. Another treatment is topical immunotherapy, the most important of which is Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP). It is used in cases that have more than 50% hair loss or are resistant to treatment. The exact DPCP mechanism of action is not well understood, but it may have some kind of antigenic competition and reduce the production of anti-hair follicle antibodies. It can alter the immune response in the skin and alter the ratio of CD4 to CD8 cells around the hair follicle in a way that enhances healing of the disease. It is stated that the rate of hair regrowth in DPCP treatment is about 50% on average. In this article, we review the latest findings of about AA and discuss its therapeutic aspects, especially with DPCP.
Elahe Nazari, Kambiz Kamyab Hesari, Sahar Montazeri, Nazanin Mansourzadeh, Vida Feizi, Hossein Mortazavi, Alireza Ghanadan, Nafiseh Esmaeli,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (5-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) is represented as a gold standard method in diagnosis of autoimmune blistering dermatoses. Normal saline, liquid nitrogen and michel’ solution are a widely accepted media for preserving biopsy samples of skin or mucosa before DIF examination. Occasionally clinicians put the biopsy specimen taken for DIF in formalin 10%, occasionally clinicians ordered DIF retrogradely and only a paraffin-embedded biopsy specimen exposed to formalin 10% is available. To determine the diagnostic value of DIF when it was performed on biopsy samples of skin or mucosa exposed to formalin 10% in comparison to the same biopsy samples exposed to normal saline.
Methods: In 74 patients (38 immunobullous and 23 chronic dermatitis), which the latter served as the normal controls, 2 perilesional punch biopsy of skin or mucosa were done, one put in formalin 10% and fixed in paraffin and one put in normal saline, and DIF was done on both samples.
Results: DIF sensitivity and specificity was with IgG 31.5% and 100% in pemphigus and 15.36% and 93.44% in BP, with C3 39.47% and 100% in pemphigus and 7.69% and 91.80% in BP, respectively.
Conclusion: DIF on specimens exposed to formalin 10% in comparison to specimens exposed to normal saline is less sensitive but approximately as specific as it is in the diagnosis of pemphigus and BP patients and especially can be useful in pemphigus patients when only a formalin exposed samples is available.
Ilshan Lotfi, Seyedsaeed Tamehrizadeh, Mohammadhassan Javanbakht, Maryam Ghiasi, Mahshid-Ol-Sadat Ansari,
Volume 13, Issue 3 (11-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease of hair follicle. Osteopontin is an early T lymphocyte activator that may play a role in some immunological diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum level of osteopontin in patients with alopecia areata and compare it with the level in normal subjects.
Methods: 54 patients with alopecia areata who presented to the Razi Hospital in Tehran in 2017 and 2018 were enrolled. Half of the patients had severe disease and half of them had mild disease. Also, 52 healthy subjects were selected as control group (age and sex matched). The severity of disease was determined using SALT Score. Serum osteopontin levels were measured by ELISA method.
Results: The results showed that serum osteopontin levels were significantly higher in patients with alopecia areata than healthy subjects. There was no significant relationship between osteopontin level and SALT score or duration of the disease.
Conclusion: The level of osteopontin is higher in AA patients than normal subjects but it does not correlate with the severity of disease.
